Absolutely Fabulous staged its supposed swan song with the two-part movie The Last Shout in 1996. But series creator Jennifer Saunders so enjoyed reuniting with her former cast mates for 2000's unrelated one-off Mirrorball that she quickly got to work writing a fourth run of "AbFab." Premiering in 2001 on BBC1, season four introduced several new recurring characters: Katy Grin (Jane Horrocks), Bubble's TV-presenter cousin; Lady Candida de Benison-Bender (Tilly Blackwood), an imperious fashion editor; and Minge (Jessica Wilcocks), an unsightly punchline. With Twiggy taking over Lulu's role as Eddy's latest has-been PR client, the season quickly got down to exploring the cultural zeitgeist as it had evolved since the last installment. Kabbalah, the Internet, Botox, and even Marilyn Manson all served as comic fodder. Longtime fans were pleased with the return of many veteran supporting characters, from fashion wannabes Catriona (Helen Lederer) and Fleur (Harriet Thorpe) to wacky relatives Gran (June Whitfield), Justin (Christopher Malcolm), Marshall (Christopher Ryan), and Bo (Mo Gaffney). But the focus, as ever, remained on the emotional warfare and codependence between would-be PR guru Edina (Saunders); her drug-addled best friend, Patsy (Joanna Lumley); and Eddy's uptight daughter, Saffy (Julia Sawalha). Although some fans complained that the series had marred its legacy by coming back from retirement with a subpar season, the one-off special Absolutely Fabulous: Gay was celebrated as a return to form in 2002. Now firmly established as an ongoing brand, Absolutely Fabulous would resurface for its fifth season in 2003. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi